The newly re-elected Conservative MP has backed calls for the Government to reach out to other parties and organisations ahead of the Brexit negotiations.

Alex Chalk MP saw off a challenge from Liberal Democrat challenger Martin Horwood who was bidding to reclaim the seat he lost to his Tory rival in 2015.

In his latest column for the Gloucestershire Echo, Mr Chalk, who backed Remain, said the “numbers have changed” following the General Election last week that saw Prime Minister Theresa May lose her Commons majority.

He writes: “So how does this affect the imminent Brexit negotiations?

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“First, there is now an imperative to achieve the maximum possible national consensus.

“As Ruth Davidson [leader of the Conservatives in Scotland] and William Hague [former Tory leader] have pointed out, the Government will now need to reach out to other parties and organisations and take on board their views.

“Those must include the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses, the TUC and – yes – the Labour opposition. I welcome that.

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“Michael Gove [the new Environment Secretary] recognises it too, stating as much on the Today programme recently.

“And the parties aren’t actually that far apart. Given that absolute free movement appears to be the non-negotiable price of membership of the Single Market, both Labour and the Conservatives seem to agree that we will have to leave. Equally both parties agree on the need for the best possible access to the Single Market.

"Those parameters are set. So when settling our stance on the customs union, for example, scope exists to hammer out a broader consensus.”

The Government is working on a deal with the DUP in Northern Ireland ahead of the Queen's Speech.